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Crimea vows to sue Ukraine for damages due to water blockade

A lawsuit to be filed in the coming days

SIMFEROPOL, March 16. /TASS/. The Crimean authorities will file a lawsuit in the coming days against the Kiev regime for damages from the peninsula's water blockade, Crimea's head Sergey Aksyonov told TASS in an interview.

"A lawsuit will be filed in the coming days. The preliminary amount of damage is more than 150 billion rubles (almost $1.4 million), but it will increase, because the lawsuits will be filed by enterprises and individuals who suffered from the blockade," Aksenov said.

Crimea’s top official specified that the first suit will be brought against Ukraine’s Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources, the State Agency of Water Resources and the management of the North Crimean Canal. "In addition, the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case for ecocide. The perpetrators are known to the Crimeans by name. Now, they won’t get off the hook," Aksenov assured.

After Crimea's reunification with Russia, Ukraine organized a series of blockades of the peninsula, in particular, it blocked water from the Kherson Region, which was supplied through the North Crimean Canal, which provided up to 90% of the residents' needs. The supply of electricity was also completely cut off.

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